Columns
Columns: How Tos, Advice & Lessons for Bass Players
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Bass Players To Know: Krist Novoselic
“I dare you to learn this song. In fact, I double dare you to you learn this song!” That’s what the little voice inside my head told me the first time I heard “Come As You Are” by Nirvana. I was a freshman in high school and had never touched a bass before. As I... »
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Tips for Starting to Teach Bass
Q: I was asked at a gig recently if I ever gave lessons. The answer was actually “no,” but I could use the bread and also thought it might be an interesting way to explore music, my playing, etc. So I said, “Definitely! Want to get together?” Without asking something as silly as “how do... »
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What’s One Piece Of Advice To Become a Better Musician?
Q: What’s the one piece of advice you got that helped you to become a better musician? A: With this week’s column, I’m hoping to get a discussion going down below. I want to know what the best advice you ever got might have been. I’m specifically thinking of those teachable moments on a gig,... »
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The Lightbulb Moment: In Sync
Nothing tears up my heart more than the moment I realize an obvious flaw or inconsistency in my playing. I mean, what have these ten-thousand-plus hours amounted to anyway? If you’re the kind of person who strives for precision—clean playing, the perfect execution of a favorite bass line, or the ability to effortlessly play a... »
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Am I Too Old To Start a Career as a Session Bassist?
Q: I’m 58 and a semi-pro bassist (I have a day job but have gigged for the past 30+ years and consider myself a very good player). I wanted to ask your thoughts on me trying to focus on becoming a session musician. I’m semi-retired and have a lot more time on my hands but... »
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Choosing a Direction: Focusing on Your Approach to Bass and Music
Q: I am an intermediate bass player and I am a fan of several different bass players. I love the way Janek Gwizdala composes, plays chords and creates music using a looper. I can’t get enough of Gary Willis and his amazing groove as well as his fretless tone. I also love listening to guys... »
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Notes from the Bandstand: The Bass Solo
Bassists abound in NYC. It’s not uncommon to get on the subway to see two other fellow bassists fighting for a spot with their low-end leviathans. And, you can be sure; these bass commuters can do it all – they can groove and solo. My first two columns have been about the former – the... »
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Connecting to Music or a Brand: Spotify vs Apple
For this week’s column, I asked a good friend and frequent band-mate – Seattle-based drummer Tarik Abouzied – to give his unique perspective into Spotify (and the streaming model, in general). Tarik had written a column in my stead here at No Treble once before regarding bass playing from the drummers perspective and everybody loved... »
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Exercise For Unlocking The Fretboard
In this video, we’ll work through a great pattern that I learned from the great trombonist Dave Glen. It’s a fantastic way to make the transition between scales and arpeggios and also helps you to relate them more naturally to different chord types. I found this very useful when I first heard Dave talking about... »
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Licks and Fills from Right Hand Drive
In this video from the road, I decided to respond to an email requesting some contextual examples of how I might use a few of the “licks and fills” from my book, Right Hand Drive. After a handful of technical difficulties and the majority of my day off spent filming in a hotel room, I... »
